Winter Blackmouth Opens January 1st In Marine Area 10 & 11

Not having any opportunity to fish blackmouth this fall or early winter except in Marine area 12 & 13, which for most of us was just plain inconvenient to trailer to or way too long of a run. On January 1st, Wednesday both Marine Area 10 - Seattle/Bremerton and Marine Area 11 - Tacoma/Vashon Island will open up for salmon fishing. Marine Area 10 will open January 1st and run through March 31st. Limit will be 1 fish with a 22 inch minimum on Chinook (Release Wild Chinook) and no size restriction on other salmon species. Marine Area 11 will open January 1st and run through April 30th. Limit will be 2 fish with a 22 inch minimum on Chinook (Release Wild Chinook) and no size restriction on other salmon species. Either area could close early if Chinook quota is attained.

With the closures this past fall and early winter we should see a higher percentage of legal fish having given them a longer time to grow. Hopefully, this will be the case which will lessen the number of sub legal fish that anglers will have to handle which in turn lessen the impacts and giving us a full season. At least that is what should happen, all we can do is wait and see.

You can also do your part to lessen the impacts on sub leagal fish by fishing larger lures and baits that are not as apealing to smaller fish. If you fish small baits and lures you will catch a greater number of these smaller blackmouth. Remember, these fish are the future of or sports fishery! Do your part and curtail your catch of these small fish and when you do handle them very carefully. Avoid netting them and release them at the boat while in the water with a dehooker. If you have to measure them to see if they are legal, then in most instances they are too small.

Good luck on the opener!